A wooden deck

To give relief and appreciate the charm of the wood, choose the orientation of the blades carefully.

Choose the orientation direction of the slats carefully. Like stripes on a piece of clothing, they change perception. Oriented towards the house, they increase the impression of depth. Lined up along the front, they emphasize the width. But you can also imagine all the patterns, with a herringbone or variegated pose, sometimes aligned, sometimes perpendicular. If you are looking for this type of complex landscaping, call on a professional, a specialized landscaper for example, and ask for a plan.The slats are screwed or nailed to the joists, or held in place by small invisible metal tabs. You must always leave a free space of at least 5 mm between the blades to promote the flow of water.The ideal is to make the terrace in blades on a concrete slab. Otherwise, the surface layer of earth should be thoroughly stripped, tamped and then a geotextile material put in place. It is a kind of felt that delays the appearance of weeds. Note that a drainage layer, sand or gravel in particular, is often made between the geotextile and the floor of the terrace.

Laying on joists

The slatted terrace rests on joists. These are wooden bars of square or rectangular section, on which the blades are fixed. These joists are in contact with the ground. It is therefore imperative that they are class IV. They are arranged at right angles to the laying direction of the boards and spaced approximately 30 to 50 cm apart.